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Plans to double its range of electrified vehicles which will see the brand introduce a hybrid version of the Kia Seltos small SUV.
A hybrid version of the next-generation Kia Seltos small SUV has been confirmed by the South Korean car maker as one of 10 hybrids in showrooms by 2030, with the Australian arm keen for it to join the local line-up.
The five-door Seltos – a rival to the Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Kona and MG ZS – is currently sold in petrol form only, with Australian models offered with a choice of 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre engines.
The current generation Seltos went on sale in Australia in 2019, with a facelift in late 2022. An all-new model is due early next year.
Kia announced plans for a hybrid Seltos at an investor presentation in South Korea, where it reported record 2024 global sales and outlined its future product and company strategy.
“In response to changing customer preferences for low-carbon and fuel-efficient vehicles, we are expanding our hybrid line-up to meet the transitional demand from gasoline and diesel vehicle customers,” the company’s report explained.
“We will continue to offer ICE [Internal Combustion Engine] models in the short-to-mid-term to meet residual demand in emerging markets, while expanding and diversifying our HEV [Hybrid Electric Vehicles, meaning non-plug-in hybrids] line-up from Seltos to Telluride.”
Kia Australia couldn’t officially confirm if the Seltos hybrid would be sold here – with timing and further details of the next generation yet to be revealed.
Yet the case for the Seltos hybrid to be sold in Australia is strong.
The local arm of the car maker said in April 2025 it would need to reduce the number of non-turbo petrol cars it sells and move towards hybrid replacements in order to meet Australia’s National Vehicle Efficiency Standar (NVES).
In Australia, Kia currently offers hybrid powertrains in the Kia Carnival people-mover, Niro light SUV, Sportage SUV and Sorento full-size SUV, the latter a direct competitor to the hot-selling hybrid-only Toyota RAV4 SUV.
The Seltos is Kia’s second-smallest SUV and uses the same underpinnings as the Kona, with Kia being part of the broader Hyundai Motor Group.
A hybrid version of the Kona was introduced to Australian showrooms in 2019, with the hybrid Kia expected to share the same powertrain as its Hyundai twin, also due for a new generation in 2025.
This is already the case with several models from the two brands, including the Sportage – Kia’s best-selling hybrid in Australia last year – which shares its platform and powertrain with the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.
Currently, the smaller Hybrid Kona Hybrid uses a 77kW/144Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a 32kW/170Nm front-axle electric motor and 1.32kWh lithium-ion battery.
The official combined output is 104kW/265Nm through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic driving the front wheels, with an impressive 3.9L/100km combined fuel efficiency figure – with Drive achieving 4.3L/100km in real-world testing.
The Seltos line-up currently starts at $30,050 before on-road costs to be marginally less than the Kona’s $32,500 entry-point for the 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder model.
The Kona Hybrid kicks off at $36,500 before on-road costs and is offered in four versions, with the Premium N-Line Hybrid list at $46,500 before on-roads.
While Kia says it aims to offer 10 hybrids globally by 2030, it hasn’t confirmed it will offer the tech in every single model.
The diesel-powered Kia Tasman ute is scheduled to arrive in Australia in mid-2025 as a rival to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, yet a hybrid version has not been announced – but a battery-electric Tasman for further down the track has been confirmed.
